I know what your probably thinking but no I am not an extreme couponer. In fact, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve used coupons at the grocery store. Now I’m not saying that couponing is a bad idea I just simply am not willing to commit time to that. Instead I’ve developed a strategy for myself that has helped me to cut my grocery bill in half! Keep reading to see if this strategy can be implemented into your own life to help you save hundreds every month on groceries.

Please note that this strategy works great for me but may not be ideal for you. That being said let’s get into it.

Create A List

How many of you are guilty of going to the grocery store on an empty stomach without a plan. Naturally the hunger takes over and you begin going down every aisle and filling your cart to the brim. Then after being in shock and agony from seeing your ridiculous grocery bill you go home and realize you still have nothing to eat.

Believe me I can totally relate, the struggle is real.

After realizing how much I was spending on groceries week after week, I knew something had to change. So, I went back to the basics and began writing a grocery list before going to the store.

Creating a list really helped me cut back on my spending and it also allowed me to improve my diet. By writing out a list I was able to plan my meals which prevented me from purchasing the spontaneous tub of ice cream.

If you decide to try writing a list make sure you challenge yourself and stick to this list! You will see at first that this is difficult, but after two or three times you will get the hang of it.

Simplicity

Are you able to eat the same two or three meals everyday? Personally I can and have found this to be extremely helpful with keeping my grocery bill relatively the same week after week.

Here’s how I do it, I start by writing down the three meals of the day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). I write down food types that I enjoy for each meal. For example, for breakfast I wrote down bagels, cereal, eggs/bacon.

Instead of overloading my cart, I decide on one of those items that I will eat everyday that week for breakfast. Generally it’s usually cereal.

I repeat this exercise for lunch and dinner, but usually give dinner a little more leeway. For dinner I generally decide on two main course items then rotate my sides during the week.

I’m not gonna lie this may be very difficult for you. A lot of people enjoy a wide variety of food options and that is totally fine.

Meal prep

In Gina’s post 11 Easy Hacks to Save More Money she talks about meal prepping and buying in bulk. These are great practices to cut back on your grocery bill.

Buying in bulk goes back to the simplicity point. If you are able to simplify your meals for the week then you should take advantage of shopping at a Costco, BJ’s, or Sam’s Club and purchase your food in bulk.

After you’ve done the dirty work of planning your simple healthy meals, creating a list, and shopping it is now time to meal prep for the week.

You may be asking yourself, “how is this gonna decrease my grocery bill?”. Well if you prep your meals for the week you will be less likely to go to the grocery store during the week to grab something you forgot. Meal prepping will also help prevent you from ordering take out or dining out. If you have food that’s ready to go at your house that just needs to be warmed up then there is no reason not to eat in.

Closing Thoughts

Generally Gina and I will grocery shop on Saturday or Sunday and meal prep for the week on Sunday. These three tips may seem obvious, but I’m telling you they really work and have allowed me to cut my grocery bill in half.

Prior to implementing these tips I was spending over $100 a week at the grocery store! Now I’ve cut my bill to $50 ish per week, which saves me $200 every month. What could you do with an extra $200 in your pocket? Not only am I saving more $ but I’ve also developed a much better diet.

As always please be sure to share and if you have any questions be sure to hit us up in the comment section below, or send us a message through our contact page.